Dungeness Spit hike offers solitude, sweeping views

Walk along Dungeness refuge beach to historic lighthouse brings peace

Chris Henry / Kitsap Sun
A dinghy near the New Dungeness Lighthouse in the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. The lighthouse was built in 1857 and has been restored. It is a popular destination for hikers and kayakers.

SEQUIM - Straggling behind my fellow hikers on a trek along the Dungeness Spit, I had the feeling of being watched.

There, I saw it. A harbor seal, head and shoulders above the gentle surf, tracked me with casual curiosity as I crunched along in the pebbles.

Talk about wildlife viewing.

The 5.5-mile hike to the lighthouse near the end of the spit offers sweeping views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north and to the south, a large protected bay that is a world-renowned sanctuary for resident and migratory birds. Herons, eagles, loons, murrelets and puffins are just some of the species that have made the spit a must-see on every serious birder's bucket list.

A spine of bleached driftwood runs the length of the spit, buffering the bay from fierce wind and waves that hammer the beach some days.

The morning of our hike was calm, cool and mostly sunny. Time seemed to slow down, measured in the long hissing breath of the waves. Space seemed to expand as I walked on.

The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915, encompasses 636 acres, including the longest coastal spit in the continental United States, according to the Washington Trails Association. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. More than 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals and eight species of marine mammals have been seen in the refuge.

The spit was formed by the action of wind and waves on river silt and glacial till. Rounding the curve of the spit, which bends like an elbow where the strait angles toward Puget Sound at Admiralty Inlet, I saw the New Dungeness Lighthouse in the distance.

The lighthouse has been guiding ships in and out of Puget Sound since 1857, when the source of light was a lard oil lamp. In 1904 a separate keepers quarters was built.

The lighthouse deteriorated, and in 1927, its tower was reduced from 91 feet to 63 feet. It's still a heck of a view.

From the topmost circular room that houses the light itself, you can see the farthest point of the spit, closed to foot or boat traffic to protect wildlife. Turn 180 degrees, and you can see how far you've come ... and how much farther you have yet to walk.

Feel small and amazed.

For those not up to the walk, there is a boat service to the lighthouse, which is also popular with kayakers.

In 1976, light and fog signals became automated, and in 1994, the Coast Guard, citing budget cuts, told its last lighthouse keeper to stand down. Concerns over possible vandalism led a group of lighthouse lovers to found the New Dungeness Lighthouse Association, which now maintains the building and grounds. The Coast Guard keeps the lantern lit.

Association members are eligible to spend a week as volunteer lighthouse keepers, and membership is open to anyone. Volunteers give daily free tours and spontaneous talks on the history of the lighthouse, as visitors arrive and show interest.

Volunteer keepers pay a fee for their "vacation"; the 2014 rate was $350 per person. There is usually a wait list, but volunteers say it's worth the wait.

"You come out here for a week, and it's one of the most peaceful spots you'd ever want to be," said Valerie Thomas of Port Angeles, a repeat keeper.

"It's so nice and peaceful, and what a view. And it's kind of an honor to be a keeper," said Marsha Holden of Sequim, who was spending the week volunteering with her husband, John.

A sign on the beach pretty much says it all: "Welcome to Serenity," with another below, pointing back along the spit, "Reality" that-a-way.